Local runners close to the top in grand prix

You’ve got to love it when a 55 year old is leading in the New Balance Grand Prix. Jorge Lopes of Linden has the lead with all races in. But lookee’ here – Fifty-three-year-old John Hogan of the township of Washington is in second place with all his races counted.

The first man who is younger than masters age is 27-year-old Aaron Leskow of Morristown in fourteenth place with Michael Dixon, 36, of Highland Park in 16th place and just 23 points behind. When those two men run in another championship and a non-championship Category Two race they will fly past Lopes and Hogan and the other masters men currently ahead of them.

On the women’s side of the chart it is a different story. Aya Leitz of Jersey City has a 128 point lead over Stacy Slaughter, 26, of Parsippany. Slaughter has all nine races posted, as does Leitz, but Slaughter has to replace a non-championship Category One race a with 700 point championship. Slaughter has two more opportunities to add a minimum of 200 points by racing in today’s Little Silver 5K, the masters men championship or the Harrington Park in November that is the masters women’s race. When head to head Slaughter is the faster of the two while Leitz has the points advantage with two non-championship wins.

The sleeper though is Karen Auteri of Belvidere who is hiding in eleventh place needing a championship Category Two race. Only two more are on the schedule; the 8km cross country race in October, and the Ashenfelter 8K in November. She also needs to be racing today or the Harrington Park race to replace a non-championship Category One race. Auteri is training for a fall marathon and that could complicate things for her.

Take a look at the cross country grand prix and who do we see in the lead in the women’s side? None other than Nora Cary, 63, of Morristown.

SHADES OF DEATH

Runners who are looking to enhance a low score in the Category Three division will have their chance next Sunday. They will be able to select the point value of the Shades of Death Half Marathon; 500 points or championship value of 700 points. Hosted by USATF New Jersey it is the sole wild card race in the year. The race is also one of the co-ed team series races.

The course is a beautiful six-plus mile double loop in Allamuchy Township. The sister race is a 6.6 mile Devils Run that is a 500 point non-championship event.

NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP NEWS

In Buffalo this past Sunday Jonathan Frieder hit the medal podium* at the national masters cross country 5km championship. Frieder, formerly of Randolph and now living in Rye Brook NY, but still a member of the local association, finished in 17:46 for third in the M45 age division and seventh overall.

The Shore Athletic Club M60 team finished in fourth place just one scoring point off third. Reno Stirrat of Rockaway and Roger Price of Randolph were on the Shore team, along with Kevin Dollard and Scott Linnell. Morris county runners Susan Stirrat and Madeline Bost were the two sole New Jersey women who competed.

*medal podium – Some national races actually do have a podium, or at least a stage where the medal winners have their medals placed around their necks, and then a pause for a photo shoot opportunity. At Sunday’s race the “medal podium” reference was tongue in cheek. The announcer, who was clearly not familiar with many of the names nor of championship protocol, read your name and a volunteer unceremoniously handed you your medal, so that you could quickly fade back into the crowd. Fame is sometimes fleeting.